International Crisis Group

‘Sea grab’ sparks tensions in South China Sea  |  Stars and Stripes

By Wyatt Olson

YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan — Many people look at China and see a unified behemoth tightly controlled by the communist central leadership, so when a diplomatic fray develops, like a rash of recent confrontations in the South China Sea, the assumption is that it’s all part of a grand plan by Beijing.

But some analysts see the bureaucracy as more akin to a giant octopus, with the teeming tentacles of ministries and provinces setting their own agendas as they compete for clout and profits — as long as they maintain loyalty to the Communist Party. The philosophy, particularly among southern provinces, is the ancient adage, “Heaven is high and the emperor far away.”

FULL ARTICLE (Stars and Stripes)

Photo: Official U.S. Navy Imagery/Flickr

Analysis - China unveils oil offensive in South China Sea squabble  |  Swissinfo.ch

By Randy Fabi and Chen Aizhu / REUTERS

SINGAPORE/BEIJING - First came the diplomatic offensive, then the flexing of military muscle.

Now, China is opening a third front to assert its claims in the South China Sea - moving ahead with its first major tender of oil and gas blocks in disputed parts of its waters.

FULL ARTICLE (Swissinfo.ch)

Photo: U.S. Navy Photo/Flickr

Analysis - ASEAN path to economic union muddied by South China Sea  |  Swissinfo.ch

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Discord in Southeast Asia over how to deal with Beijing’s claims in the South China Sea comes as the region struggles to overcome competing national interests and form a European Union-style economic community by 2015.

FULL ARTICLE (Swissinfo.ch)

Photo: Gunawan Kartapranata/Wikimedia Commons

High Stakes in the South China Sea  |  The Diplomat

by Stephanie Kleine-Ahlbrandt

Coverage of the South China Sea territorial dispute has tended to paint the story as that of a giant China flexing its muscle over a handful of smaller Southeast Asian states. But while China’s increasingly assertive behavior shows its willingness to exploit the weaknesses of other claimants, the picture is not as simple as is it is often portrayed. Vietnam and the Philippines are pushing back against China, and many countries are stoking tensions in the sea. Together, their actions leave plenty of room for open conflict to break out.

FULL ARTICLE (The Diplomat)

Photo: U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class David Mercil/Wikimedia Commons

Armed conflict possible in South China Sea: ICG  |  Agence France Presse

By Jason Gutierrez

MANILA, Philippines–Tensions over competing claims in the South China Sea could escalate into conflict, with an arms build-up among rival nations raising the temperature, an international think tank warned Tuesday.

FULL ARTICLE (AFP)

Photo: Official U.S. Navy Imagery/Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Andrew Ryan Smith/Flickr

Hardened lines in the South China Sea | Asia Times

By Roberto Tofani

Tit-for-tat moves by China and Vietnam represent the latest indication that tensions could break into conflict over contested and potentially resource rich maritime areas in the South China Sea. 

Hanoi’s National Assembly late last month overwhelmingly passed a law that effectively declared sovereignty over areas of the Spratly and Paracel Islands, including territories claimed by China. The law will come into force at the beginning of next year, leaving unclear how Hanoi plans to fortify its claim in what it refers to as the East Vietnam Sea. 

The decision came in the wake of the publication of a short essay entitled “Vietnam’s sovereignty over Hoang Sa [Paracel] and Truong Sa [Spratly] Archipelagos” by the National Political Publishing House, which gave historical evidence in support of Vietnam’s claims. 

FULL ARTICLE (Asia Times)

Photo: U.S. Navy photo/ Cmdr. Ed Thompson

China-Vietnam row hits energy groups | The Financial Times

By Ben Bland and Gwen Robinson

Some of the world’s biggest energy companies, including ExxonMobil and Gazprom, have been thrust into the deteriorating territorial dispute between China and Vietnam in the resource-rich South China Sea.

FULL ARTICLE (Financial Times)

Vietnam Law on Contested Islands Draws China’s Ire | Jakarta Globe

By Jane Perlez

In a show of its resolve in a dispute over the South China Sea, China sharply criticized Vietnam on Thursday for passing a law that claims sovereignty over the Paracel and Spratly Islands, saying they are the “indisputable” territory of China.

The Foreign Ministry in Beijing summoned the Vietnamese ambassador, Nguyen Van Tho, to strongly protest the new law, said a spokesman, Hong Lei.

“Vietnam’s Maritime Law, declaring sovereignty and jurisdiction over the Paracel and Spratly Islands, is a serious violation of China’s territorial sovereignty,” a ministry statement said. “China expresses its resolute and vehement opposition.”

Photo: Reuters

Financial Times | Dragons are stirring up the South China Sea

By David Pilling

“Too many dragons, too much noise.” That is how one Chinese scholar explained constant friction in the South China Sea, where Beijing’s territorial claims are rubbing up against competing claims from several south-east Asian nations.

FULL ARTICLE (FT)

Photo: US Navy/Wikimedia Commons